Doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad has successfully removed a non-ovarian tumor weighing 47 Kg and gave a new lease of life to the patient.

A team of doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad, gave a new lease of life to a 56-year-old female patient by surgically removing a 47 kg tumour—the biggest non-ovarian tumour successfully removed in India so far. Patient who is a government employee and a resident of Devgadh Baria had been carrying the tumour for 18 years and was bed-ridden for the past few months. The surgery was performed by team of surgeons, led by Dr Chirag Desai, Chief Surgical Gastroenterology which lasted for four hours.

The problem started 18 years ago, when patient experienced unexplained weight gain in the abdominal region. Initially, she resorted to ayurvedic treatment, but in vain. In 2004, she underwent sonography which revealed a benign tumour and the family opted for surgery in another hospital. However, when the doctor began the surgery, it was found that the tumour was attached to internal organs. Considering the risks involved, the doctors terminated the surgery. Since then, patient’s family approached several hospitals, but being a complex case, surgery was not conducted. In the meantime, the size of the tumour kept on growing and in the past two years, it almost doubled in size affecting her quality of life.

Eventually, the family approached Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad where the doctors after a thorough assessment, decided to perform the challenging surgery on January 27, 2022. During the surgery, apart from the tumour, abdominal wall tissues and excess skin were also removed which was around 7 kg. Following the surgery, patient’s bodyweight dropped to 49 kg. As she could not stand straight, her body weight before the surgery could not be measured.

“It was a high-risk surgery as the patient’s internal organs such as liver, heart, lungs, kidneys and uterus were displaced because of the pressure created by the tumour in the abdomen. Getting a CT scan done was also difficult as the size of the tumour obstructed the gantry of the CT scan machine” Dr Desai said.

Dr. Desai further added that, “As patient’s blood pressure was altered due to the squeezed blood vessels, she was under special treatment and medications, a week prior to the operation, to prevent her from collapsing during the surgery.” Following post-operative care and rehabilitation, the patient was discharged from the hospital on February 14, 2022.

Onco-Surgeon Dr Nitin Singhal, who was part of the team, said, “Fibroids are common in many women in the reproductive age group, but rarely does it grow this big.” A team also comprised Anaesthetist Dr Ankit Chauhan, General Surgeon – Dr Swati Upadhyay and Critical Care specialist Dr Jay Kothari who played a crucial role.